Alias
by Venus Smurf
Summary: AU GeneralsSenshi. Crappy older story. Don't read it.
1. Mission Preparations

 "ALIAS"

A.N.: This story is about a thousand years old, and I really didn't know what I was doing. The chapters are almost painfully short, and, well, the fic just plain needs help. I wrote this when I was pretty young and then recently found it on my computer, and I figured I'd better get it posted before I lost it. Don't use this as a measure of anything else I write, okay?

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CHAPTER ONE

The nervous spy, code-named Azurite, approached Lady Beryl cautiously. He had news that he knew would make her unhappy, and Lady Beryl's unhappiness always meant great pain for the nearest people. Unfortunately, the nearest person just happened to be a spy named Azurite.  
  
He waited, practically shaking in his fear, at the foot of the dais until Lady Beryl indicated with a lazy nod that he should speak. He gulped, but quickly complied. Lady Beryl did not like to be kept waiting.  
  
"They got away."  
  
Three little words. Such simple words, really. And yet, in the instant after he uttered them, Azurite realized that they had sealed his fate. Already, Beryl's face was turning livid with rage. Azurite hastily tried to save himself. "It wasn't my fault, Lady! Lord Malachite saw right through me, but I swear that I did nothing wrong! My disguise was perfect! I swear by my life, it wasn't my fault!"  
  
Even as he spoke, Azurite knew that his words had condemned him once again. Lady Beryl was calm now, but he knew from experience the ill her serenity boded for him. "Yes, I believe you, Azurite. You do swear on your life." She smiled maliciously. "Paororite! Have this incompetent removed from my sight." She ran her tongue along her pointed teeth. "Forever." Just before Paorarite's guards dragged his screaming form from the room, he heard Beryl tell his successor two words in a tone that chilled him even more than his imminent execution.  
  
"Find Endyimon."

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"I feel like a fool," muttered the slender blonde seated in front of the mirror. 

"Stop whining," retorted the black-haired girl standing behind her. 

"Yeah, Mina," added the brunette sitting at the chess table. "It's not like you haven't disguised yourself as Serenity a thousand times before."  
  
Mina made a face in the mirror at her chestnut-haired friend, who just shrugged and returned to her game. "This is different, though," Mina replied. "Most of the times that I took her place, she just over-slept and couldn't make a meeting or something. I've never had to pretend to be her while on a planet infested with agents of the dark moon, and I've certainly never tried to be her while she's sitting right next to me."  
  
The brunette piped in again. "It'll be alright, Meens. If anyone tries to hurt her, we'll just kick them into the next plane." She moved one of her pieces, then said, "Your turn, Amy." The girl with the short blue hair sitting opposite looked thoughtfully at the board. She moved one small, seemingly inconsequential piece, and then went back to the book she was reading on the side.  
  
Mina sighed, and then turned to survey Raye's work as the raven- haired girl added the final touches to Mina's costume. "All done," Raye finally pronounced. The other two girls abandoned their game, although of course everyone knew Amy would win anyway, to see the finished product.  
  
"Wow, Raye, you've really outdone yourself this time." The brunette emphasized her compliment with a hearty slap on Raye's back. 

Raye, doubled over with pain, gasped, "Thank you, Lita."  
  
"She's right, Raye. Thanks to you, I now look like the perfect example of a petty lord's daughter." Suddenly, she smiled. "The real challenge, of course, is to see if you can make Lita, Amy, and yourself into boys."  
  
Lita groaned. "Why can't we just use Serena's disguise pen?" 

Raye, wincing herself, only pointed to the "Chair of Make-up Torture", as Mina had dubbed it. "Some humans can sense magic. We have to go undetected if we're to successfully transport Serena to the marriage negotiations with Prince Diamond on Earth." Raye started to cut off Lita's long brown hair. "Relax," she told her edgy friend. "It'll grow back as soon as we change to our senshi forms. Just be glad that you don't have to wear those awful human dresses like Serena and Mina. Did you guys see the layers on those things?" she scoffed. "No wonder human girls are so flighty. All of that binding must cut off the oxygen supply to their brains."  
  
As Raye finished speaking, a short blonde girl with two long streams of hair on either side of her head burst into the room. She promptly tripped over her own two feet, crashed into the dressing table, and sent several bottles containing various liquids flying through the air. Most of the bottles landed at Raye's feet, forming unpleasant-smelling goo where they mixed together. "Speaking of flighty. . ." she muttered, a twitch forming under her left eye. "What's got you so excited this time, Serena?" she asked with barely contained anger.  
  
Mina helped Serena to her feet, and the blonde gasped frantically for air before replying, "The High King's been murdered!" 

Mina stepped between Raye and Serena before Raye could shake clear answers from the girl using physical force. "The High King of Earth is dead? Are you sure?" she questioned sharply. 

Serena nodded, still gulping for air, and said, "The entire family, including the son with the funny name, was killed. Luna thinks they must have been betrayed from the inside," she added on reflection.  
  
Mina nodded, mind whirling with the implications. "We proceed as planned. The ensuing chaos should mask our arrival from any enemies of the white moon. When we get to earth, we'll maintain almost total silence. No thought Sending," she warned, looking around the room. Let's get to it!"  
  
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Half an hour later, Mina had finally completed the preparations for their journey. She'd secured a typical human carriage, along with four ordinary-looking Terran horses. The animals fidgeted, unused to so much activity.  
  
"Ugly beasts, aren't they?" a smooth voice behind her chuckled. "Personally, I've always preferred the horned lightening-mares of Jupiter." 

She turned to smile at the stately, platinum-haired man behind her. "Artemis," she greeted warmly. "I didn't expect to see you before we left, what with all the spying Selenity has you doing."  
  
He wrapped an elegant arm around her shoulders. "Such a course word. I'll have you know that I never _spy_." She laughed dismissively. "I'm glad to see you, old friend."  
  
He grinned at her, but his expression turned worried. "Are you really still going?"  
  
She looked away, and stared instead at the rickety human carriage. "I have to get Serena married off. As little as I relish the idea, I can't return to Venus until I know that she'll be cared for."  
  
He sighed, knowing how badly she needed to return to her own planet. "We've had to evacuate the entire northern continent, Mina. Your coronation can't wait much longer."  
  
"I know." 

Artemis' arm tightened for a moment in sympathy. "It will get easier, little one," he murmured, very aware of just how much weighed on his young charge's shoulders. 

"Will it?" she asked. "Sometimes I wonder."  
  
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"Have you found him, yet, Paorarite?" hissed Queen Beryl. 

"Not yet, my queen," Paorarite answered. The greasy little man bowed profusely. "My operative in the prince's ranks has not yet reported in. Still, I have other news that might please your majesty."  
  
The queen glared at him, the spark of insanity clear in her eyes. "What is it, Paorarite?" 

He bowed again, saying, "I have just received news that the princess of the white moon and four of her guards are on earth. Apparently, Diamond managed to arrange a marriage negotiation with Selenity. If we can't delay the princess' journey, we might be able to use her to control the white queen. The queen certainly wouldn't want any harm to come to her precious daughter," he sneered.  
  
The queen laughed cruelly. "Do what you can to capture the chit," she commanded. "In the meantime, you are running _out_ of time, Paorarite. I want Endyimon."


	2. Princess

Chapter Two  
  
The caravan was traveling awfully slowly. Malachite watched from a safe distance, carefully noting the positions of the guards. Two guards rode on horses along side the carriage, while another young soldier drove the horses. The soldier in the driver's seat held the reins of the horses as if unused to such gentle creatures. Malachite assumed that a fourth guard, or at least a maidservant, remained inside with the moon princess. Satisfied with his reconnaissance mission, Malachite returned to Prince Endymion's camp.  
  
He found the prince deep in conversation with a young soldier in a grey uniform. The prince dismissed the man as soon as he noticed his head general. Endymion's ice blue eyes flashed when Malachite nodded in affirmation. "They're headed south, Darien," he said anyway, using the prince's nickname.  
  
The prince nodded thoughtfully. "Good. This should be an easy capture." 

Malachite shook his head. "This won't be easy at all, Darien. If it is the moon princess, she won't be traveling without protection. I saw at least three guards with her." 

The prince scoffed in derision. "Three guards against three thousand. Yes, I can see why you're worried."  
  
"Don't underestimate the Lunarians, Darien. Those guards could easily defeat several hundred armed and trained men, and that's only if they're not senshi." 

Endyimon blinked, confused. "Senshi? Even if they do exist, which I highly doubt, they couldn't possibly defeat hundreds, let alone thousands, of professional soldiers."  
  
"I think you underestimate the senshi, my prince. From what I've heard, a single senshi could easily destroy an entire planet. We would be wise not to discount them."  
  
Endyimon shook his head. "I need the princess if I'm to save my kingdom, Malachite. Only a marriage-alliance with the moon will be strong enough to stop Beryl from taking over everything. I must have the princess."  
  


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"Calm yourself, Serenity. The journey will only last a few more days, and then you'll be with your beloved Diamond." *And then I can go back to Venus*, she thought. *Only when I've become queen will the planet be safe*. Mina patted Serena's arm reassuringly.  
  
"He's not my 'beloved' Diamond. How can he be, when I've only met him a handful of times?" Serena stared disconsolately out the window.  
  
Mina's head whipped toward the princess. "Serena," she said with compassion. "Do you not want to marry Diamond? I thought you liked him. Everybody else certainly did," she added in a tone that implied that Mina wasn't necessarily part of that 'everybody'.  
  
"I do like him. I just don't love him." Serena finally turned and faced her friend. "I was just afraid of disappointing everyone. I mean, he's handsome, charming, intelligent. He even descends from Lunarian royal blood. What's not to like? Still, there's something not right about him. He scares me, a little."  
  
Mina put a sympathetic arm around Serena's shoulders. "Serena, you could never disappoint any of us. We love you for who you are, not for who you might marry. We trust your judgment. If you wanted to marry a two- headed street sweeper, we won't stop you." Serena wiped her suddenly teary eyes. "Thanks, Mina, that means a lot to me. But what about Mother?"  
  
Mina chuckled. "Your mother will come around. She just wants you to be happy. Besides, she can hardly say 'no' to you when four of the strongest warriors in the solar system, not to mention the heirs of four of the planets of the Silver Millennium, all support you."  
  
Serena thought for a moment, scrunching up her face in concentration. "You?" she finally asked. 

Mina laughed outright this time. "Of course, us, silly. We may be senshi, but we're also the future queens of four very large and very close kingdoms. We carry a lot of political clout, you know." She turned serious. "Do you want to marry Diamond, Serenity?"  
  
"No," said Serena softly. "I don't." 

Mina nodded. "Then we go home." Girls? she called with her mind, limiting her mind-voice so only the other senshi could hear. Trouble? inquired Raye in return.  
  
No trouble. Serena doesn't want to marry Diamond. Turn us around slowly, Raye. We don't want to upset the horses.  
  
Tell me about it. answered Raye, who for once did not question her leader's orders. She didn't like Diamond, either. I've never dealt with such flighty, fragile creatures before. Martian fire-horns are much more spirited.  
  
The carriage slowed as Mina's laughter echoed into their minds. Just as it started to turn, though, Mina could hear shouts from outside. The carriage jolted sharply, then rolled to a stop. Mindful of Serenity's safety, Mina did not try to leave the carriage. How many? she mind-Sent to Lita.  
  
At least a thousand. Maybe more. answered Lita, frustration coloring her thoughts. Not even we can take that many without transforming first. Orders?  
  
Whatever you do, don't change! There might be dark moon agents out there, and we simply can't risk Serenity's safety. They'd attack her while we're fighting. Go along with them quietly, and stick to the plan. Don't use mind-speech until I contact you. Got it?  
  
Their Sendings of agreement were accompanied by an abrupt silence outside, although several moans could be heard from the men they'd already attacked. "Remember, Serena, to follow my lead. Act like a frightened, weak female. Okay?"  
  
Serena nodded. "I am a frightened, weak female." 

Mina placed herself between Serena and the carriage door. "Never weak, Serena. You've never been that."  
  
The door opened, and rough hands pulled them out. Mina jerked free as soon as Serena was safely out of the carriage. The two soldiers in grey uniforms who had grabbed them led them to another group of men on horseback. The uniforms of four of these men were a grey with blue trim, while the fifth man wore a complete suit or armor. Mina noted the bound forms of the other three senshi. They were surrounded by drawn weapons, but all three remained calm and unafraid. Mina didn't dare send a mind- call to tell them to at least lose some of their confidence to better hide their identities. Instead, she turned her attention to their captors.  
  
All five men, she noticed, were exceptionally handsome. Two were tall and blond, one with leaf green eyes and the other with deep blue ones. The third man had long brown hair, with dark green eyes of his own. The fourth was a tall, silver haired man with cold, piercing silver eyes set in a surprisingly tanned face. The last, the armored man, had black hair and ice blue eyes.  
  
"I assume you're responsible for this?" Mina asked with all of the arrogance she could muster. Hopefully, the men would think that she really was only a spoiled lord's daughter and release them. Still, she had the feeling that none of these men ever missed anything.  
  
The armored man dismounted, saying coldly, "I'm Endyimon, high prince of Earth. I assume that you're Serenity?"  
  
Mina paled, realizing that their cover was all but blown, and that only a few hours at the most would pass before agents of the dark moon attacked in droves. Still, maybe she could salvage something of this if she could convince them that she was Serenity. "Yes, I am Serenity. What do you want of me?"  
  
Endyimon chuckled mirthlessly. "To put it simply, I need an alliance with the moon, and only a marriage between you and I will be enough cause to secure it."  
  
Mina snuck a quick glance at Serena. The girl was putting on a good show of 'frightened maiden', but Mina could see the speculative interest in her eyes.  
  
"And why, pray tell, would I want to wed a dead man?" Mina kept the haughty tone imbedded in her voice, hoping to draw Endymion's obvious interest away from Serenity.  
  
It didn't work, of course. Endyimon couldn't seem to tear his eyes from Serena's lovely face. Mina wasn't overly surprised when the tanned, silver-haired man spoke to cover the silence stretching between the prince and Mina. "It's really quite simple, Majesty," he said in a deep, cultured voice. *He'd be gorgeous if he weren't such an iceberg, not to mention a kidnapper*, Mina mused dispassionately. "Reports of our deaths have been greatly exaggerated, probably intentionally spread by the very traitors that beset our forces. We believe that only a union with the Silver Millennium can salvage what's left of both the high king's throne and the peoples of Earth."  
  
Mina nodded, having surmised most of this well before the handsome general finished speaking. "I know something of traitors, myself," she said softly. She said nothing more, her quick mind already devising possible escape scenarios. When she'd decided that the prince had stared at Serena for far longer than was healthy for him, she called rudely, "If you'd kindly stop ogling my maid for five minutes, I might be able to get some intelligent answers from you. Or is that asking too much from a human?"  
  
Someone in the crowd of soldiers laughed, but several swiftly drew their swords in anger. Mina's eyes narrowed, but not in response to the sudden abundance of weapons. She knew that laugh. No, it couldn't be. . .  
  
Suddenly, she sensed a presence behind her, and she swiftly threw herself between Serenity and the grey-clad soldier attacking her with a drawn sword. The soldier's eyes were malignant, but fear glistened in them as well. The fact that she couldn't read his thoughts unnerved her far more than the steel in his hands. *Why can't I penetrate his shields? He's just a human! *  
  
Almost too swiftly to follow, Mina threw herself to the ground, using the strength of her arms to pivot her feet into the man's chest. Having suddenly lost all of the air in his lungs, the man collapsed. His sword flew high into the air, but Mina used the momentum from her kick to propel herself after it. She caught the sword as it careened wildly to the ground. She landed roughly, going into a roll to minimize the impact to her body. She rolled to her feet, coming to a full stop right in front of Endyimon. In the space of a heartbeat, the tip of the sword was pressed firmly to the prince's throat.


	3. First Attack

CHAPTER THREE  
  
Malachite quickly dismounted and unsheathed his own sword, but Endyimon waved him away. Malachite obediently stepped back, but did not resheath his sword. Instead, he closely watched the woman holding the weapon to his prince's throat.  
  
"Let me make myself perfectly clear," she was saying, former arrogance replaced by pure steel. "She belongs to me. I don't know if that little act was planned or simply poor discipline, but this is my last and only warning. Touch my maid again, and I'll kill you. Look at her the wrong way, and I'll kill you. Harm a hair on the heads of my guards or my servant, and I'll kill you. You do not want to mess with me. Do we understand each other?" Her eyes flickered over to Malachite's, and a chill ran down his spine. In spite of her furious words, the girl was perfectly calm and controlled. She was either insane or very skilled. After that little feat, he suspected that it was probably the latter. He certainly didn't want to see her angry.  
  
When the prince nodded, the girl spun and threw the sword at the fallen form of the soldier that had attacked her. It landed perilously high between the man's spread-eagled legs. *Nope*, he thought, half- amused, *I definitely don't want to see her mad.*  
  
General Malachite gestured, and a handful of soldiers stepped forward to lead the captives away. Meek as lambs, the princess, her maid, and the three guards followed quietly behind.  
  
Malachite wondered just what kind of training these people had had. If the princess was that spectacular, what must the senshi be like? Even the maid was more than she seemed, with those knowing eyes and hidden smile. She may be acting frightened, but he doubted that it was anything more than just an act.  
  
He watched them leave, marveling at the confidence and grace that echoed their every movement. The princess and the maid were escorted back into the chariot, while the three guards were tossed onto leashed packhorses. As the princess stepped up to the carriage, she tossed one more look back at Malachite's direction. The fading sun lit the girl's hair to a gleaming gold, and her eyes seemed almost amber as she looked over her shoulder at him. Had he been any other male in the solar system, he supposed that his heart probably would have stopped beating at the sight of her. As it was, he told himself that he felt absolutely nothing at all. Absolutely nothing.  
  
Stay away from us. Don't get in my way. The voice in his head was tinged with gold. He whirled, looking for the source, and soon realized that the golden voice came from the princess. Shocked that she'd penetrated his shields, Malachite immediately tried to return the favor. He sent his will barreling toward her shields like a battering ram. He did not appreciate being violated like that. His will hit her with enough force that she should have fallen immediately. Instead, he was the one that almost fell. Only years of training kept him from collapsing. She was strong.  
  
Contemplating the twist the moon princess' abilities would put on Endyimon's plans, Malachite wandered over to the still-prone body of the princess' attacker. The man's hands were not bound, and soon he would be carted away to a makeshift prison. Endyimon would decide what to do with him later.  
  
As Malachite came closer to the body, he noticed the sword imbedded in the soil, halfway to the hilt. When he tried to pull it out, he almost dislocated a shoulder. He glanced back in the direction the princess and her retinue had been taken. *Gods. What are they?*  
  


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Mina and Serena were escorted into a small, mostly bare room. The floors and walls were cold, badly poured concrete. Two tiny, uncomfortable looking cots lined one wall of the windowless room, and a door on the second wall opened to a latrine the size of a tiny closet.  
  
As their escort locked them, alone, in the room, Serena sat wearily down on one cot. Mina paced the room carefully, looking for any escape routes or possible weapons. Knowing she would not find any unless she transformed and blew their cover, she sat on the other cot. Only a few minutes had passed before she started to pace again.  Serena watched her, and the misery and fear on her face that she'd hidden from their captives earlier was evident now. Mina sighed, knowing that the princess wanted a reassurance that she simply couldn't give her. "I made contact with one of them," she said instead. "The silver-haired man. He didn't seem so bad."  
  
Serena's eyes widened with surprise. "I thought that we were maintaining mental silence," was her only comment. "Why'd you pick him?" 

Mina shrugged. "I guess he reminded me a little of Artemis." She hastily changed the subject. "You seemed to like the prince. Have you changed your mind about marriage?" she teased.  
  
Serena blushed, knowing she was officially caught. "Don't tell the others, especially Lita. I'd never hear the end of it." 

Mina chuckled. Seeing that Serena was happy made this entire annoying ordeal worthwhile. "What'd you think of him?"  
  
Serena blushed an even deeper red. "I liked his looks." Her face drooped again. "I miss mother and Luna." 

Mina sighed. "It'll be all right, Rilly," she said, sticking to Serena's alias. "I won't let anything happen to you. I'd give my life or prince funny-name's first." Serena nodded numbly, but something was obviously still bothering her. Mina sighed again. "What is it, Rilly?"  
  
Serena hesitated, then asked in a low voice, "Would you really have done it? Killed the prince to protect me, I mean?"  
  
Mina looked directly into Serena's eyes. "Do you really want me to answer that?" Serena nodded, so Mina continued. "Yes, I would have killed him. I still will kill him, if he tries to hurt you." Serena looked away, unable to meet Mina's frank stare. "Listen to me, Rilly. You and I are not the same, and we never have been. I am, first and foremost, a soldier. I was trained to kill, but I would never take the life of anybody unless it was absolutely necessary. Please believe me when I say that I am not a killer!"  
  
At the note of pleading in Mina's voice, Serena finally looked up and met her eyes. She smiled, saying, "Of course, I know you're not. We've been friends for years, and I know you'd never hurt an innocent. Now," she said in an uncharacteristically sensible tone, "we should get some sleep while we can. They're probably going to interroga- interview us soon." She stretched out on the cot and was fast asleep in seconds.  
  
Mina obediently lay down, but she couldn't sleep until she'd checked on the other senshi. She Sent her will to Raye alone, hoping that the limited contact wouldn't be detected. Raye? she called softly. Are you guys okay?  
  
Immediately, Mina's mind was filled with an image of a cell much like her own, occupied by the three senshi. The entire picture was tinged with the deep red that usually characterized Raye's mind-voice. We're fine, but we're not alone. Mina saw a quick image of the three men who had been with Malachite and the prince earlier.  
  
In swift reply, Mina Sent an image of her cell, along with one of Serena sleeping peacefully on the cot. Continue to stay silent. she warned. Cooperate physically and don't fight, but don't tell them anything. 

Red tinged Mina's thoughts once again. Got it. Satisfied, Mina finally closed her eyes and allowed sleep to overtake her.  
  


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Raye felt Mina's mind leave her own, and turned unobtrusively to the three generals questioning them. The one with the green eyes and brown hair was staring at her, a knowing smile on his lips. Glaring at him, Raye sent a narrow, focused thought beam at Lita. They're okay. Cooperate, but stay silent. Lita tipped her head slightly in subtle acknowledgment, and then repeated the message to Amy. Their strategy was Mina's idea, of course. She'd warned them before they left that some humans were capable of limited telepathy, but that they probably couldn't follow a Sending if the same person didn't repeat the thought to every individual.  
  
The young general with the blond hair and green eyes, Zoicite, had latched onto Amy as the person most likely to break under their continual questioning. Amy, however, thought that their idea of torture was laughable. For all of their seeming meekness, Mercurians, as a people, had been adept at torture. Their ingenious minds had had the centuries before the creation of the Silver Millennium to devise every method of torture in the galaxy. She kept a nervous frown on her lips, but Raye could sense the laughter hidden beneath it. Amy may have been the weakest of the senshi, but even she was unimaginably powerful by human standards.  
  
While still musing over Amy's abilities, Raye suddenly felt a sliver of thought probing her mind. Though the probe was easily deflected, she threw up additional shielding. Recognizing the brown-haired man as the source of the probe, she spun to face him. "Stop that!" she hissed as four pairs of eyes turned to hers questioningly. "He's been probing us the entire time," she explained angrily to the other two women. "There's no telling what he's gotten from us."  
  
The man drew himself up from the wall against which he'd been leaning, and smiled suavely. "Quite the contrary, I didn't get anything from you. Your shielding is very strong. However, I don't need to invade your minds to learn your secrets."  
  
"What are you talking about? You won't get anything from us." The anger in Lita's voice was accentuated by the fighting stance she'd assumed. 

The general, Nephlite, watched her from heavy lidded eyes. "I beg to differ, pretty one. You see," he whispered conspiratorially, "I know you're female. What's more, I think you're more than just low-level guards. You're senshi."  
  
Lita growled, and lightening sparkled in the air around her head. Lita! Raye Sent before the tall girl could blow their cover. Lita calmed herself with difficulty. "Yes, we're senshi. Of course," she continued thoughtfully, "knowing what we are won't help you if you're dead." She grinned menacingly, and a tiny lightening bolt flared between the fingers on her right hand. She held the hand up, prepared to strike, but Amy stepped between the angry girl and her target.  
  
"Stop that," she said harshly. "Killing them won't help." She bent and blew gently on Lita's lightening, which promptly froze. 

Lita shook her hand violently, and the frozen bolt fell to the floor and shattered. Bits of lightening escaped and danced harmlessly up the walls. "It'll make _me_ feel better," she muttered rebelliously.  
  
Amy glared at her, but turned to the slightly stunned generals before Lita could get riled up again. "Generals," she said formally, bowing slightly to each in turn. "Being fellow soldiers, I'm sure you realize that we're not going to talk. You might as well leave us alone." Her voice was even and calm, but it contained a warning as well. 

The last general, Jedeite, started to protest angrily, but Nephlite's voice interrupted his tirade before it could begin. "Ladies," he said in his smooth voice. He dragged Jedeite from the room, a hesitant Zoicite following. Though they immediately shut and locked the door behind them, Raye could still hear them arguing in the corridor.  
  
"We can question them later, Jed," Nephlite was saying. "They're not going to break no matter what we do. They're senshi." 

Jedeite growled, but answered, "You mean _if_ they're senshi."  
  
Zoicite piped in, saying, "They're senshi alright. Did you see the way they played with the elements like that? Gods, to have that power. . ." His tone was envious.  
  
Nephlite grunted in agreement. "We'll watch them. They can't do anything as long as they're locked up, anyway. We only have to wait until Darien talks their princess around."  
  
Lita snorted at the man's arrogance. Nobody could talk Mina around to anything she didn't want to do, and they certainly couldn't convince Serena to abandon her own people to marry a barbarian kidnapper. "You should have at least let me punch one of 'em," she said facetiously.


	4. Assassin

CHAPTER FOUR  
  
Endyimon and Malachite quietly unlocked the door to the princess' cell and stepped inside. They found the two women inside, the maid still asleep, and the princess lounging elegantly against one wall. Her pose was relaxed, but her eyes glinted dangerously. "Can I help you, gentlemen?" she asked sweetly.  
  
Endyimon ignored her, eyes drawn instead to the sleeping blonde on the cot. She was beautiful, her child-like innocence spread across delicate features. In his opinion, this girl should have been the moon princess, not the complicated warrior watching him so closely. A strangely wistful feeling sprang into his heart. If only...  
  
He glanced back to the real princess and sighed. "Princess," he said formally, "I wish to discuss certain matters of state with you. If you'd be so kind as to accompany me to the conference room?"  
  
The girl watched him, and something flickered in her blue eyes. She glanced toward her still sleeping maid, and he saw the same emotions play across her face. What was he seeing? Fear for her maid's well being? Speculation? And…envy? Suddenly, she smiled, and her smile was like a ray of sunshine in the dim room. Startled, Endyimon felt a quick rush of awe, immediately suppressed, from Malachite. *Does Malachite actually like this girl?!*  
  
The girl pushed away from the wall, her bright smile still upon her face. "Well," she said, golden laughter thick in her voice, "You're no two-headed street sweeper, but you'll do."  
  
She laughed softly, clapping him lightly on the shoulder as she passed him on the way to the door. He started to follow, but she shook her head slightly, still laughing as she pulled the unlocked door open. "If it's all the same to you, I would rather not repeat my 'Touch her and I'll kill you' speech. Once was enough. Besides," she added, grinning. "We both know you'd rather stay with my maid than go with me. I'm sure Mister Brick-Wall here can help me hammer out the contract." She exited quickly, leaving a stunned prince in her wake. He sat on the empty cot, confused, to wait for the maid to wake up.  
  


****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

  
Malachite escorted the princess to one of the upper levels of the building. This room was only slightly larger and better furnished than her cell, having a table and several chairs in the center. The girl led the way to the table, acting almost as though he were a guest in her own house, not her kidnapper.  
  
"Now," she said when he seated himself in one of the chairs. "Let's get started. You want the princess of the moon to marry the prince of the earth, correct?" He nodded, puzzled by her abrupt change of manner. "Don't look so startled, general. I've simply decided that an alliance might...fortuitous for both sides, after all."  
  
He nodded again, but he was still puzzled and a little suspicious of her motives. Surely she didn't want to marry Endyimon? A tiny part of himself admitted that he was insanely jealous of Endyimon. Still, what were her motives?  
  
*When we first met, he thought, she was all royal arrogance and pride. Just minutes later, she'd become steel and lightening. She was quite willing to kill the prince to protect that little maid of hers, and I doubt that she'd think twice about killing me. Still, it's odd that she threw herself between the attacker and a mere servant.*  He sighed.  *Even now, she laughs and smiles as though she were at a grand party. Just how many personalities does this girl have? Better yet, which is the real one?*  
  
Malachite's musings were interrupted as the door opened and a soldier entered. "Lord Malachite!" he gasped, out of breath from running. "The traitor that attacked the princess is dead!"  
  
"What happened? How did he die, and why wasn't someone watching him?" A strange sense of foreboding crept over him. Something was not right. He saw the princess' eyes narrow slightly, as though she already knew or suspected what had happened to her attacker.  
  
"All I know is that he was found in his cell, throat cut, but he didn't have a weapon with which to do it." 

Malachite nodded and dismissed the soldier. He glanced at the girl beside him and was not surprised to find her watching him again. "It would seem," she said thoughtfully, "that you have another traitor in your ranks."  
  
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Lita was bored. Bad enough that the princess and Mina were locked in a separate cage, but now the other three senshi had been waiting for several hours without anything to do. Since their powers had already been exposed, Lita didn't feel guilty for using hers for her own amusement. She created a ball of compacted lightening and started bouncing it along the wall like a child's rubber plaything. She didn't notice that Raye's anger rose with each crackle of the ball as it made contact…or maybe she just didn't care. 

Finally, Raye's Martian temper exploded. "Lita!" she shouted, and one of the cots simultaneously burst into flames. Amy immediately moved to freeze the flames, forming a sort of living sculpture.  
  
Raye apparently didn't see the need for calming herself down. As soon as Amy finished putting out the flames on one bed, a second also caught on fire. "Stop it, Raye!" yelled Amy. Amy _never_ yelled.  
  
"I'm sorry, Amy," Raye quickly apologized, not sounding in the least bit sorry.  "I'm just so tense. We're stuck in here, and we can't go help them. It's frustrating." 

Lita grimaced in sympathy…and threw her ball at the wall again. "Tell me about it," she said. "You should have let me kill them."  
  
Amy grunted in frustration. "We know, Lita. If it makes you feel any better, even I regret the fact that we let them live. I'm bored, too, you know. I can't access my computer in this form, and I didn't think to bring a book."  
  
Both Raye and Lita glared at her in annoyance.  
  
The door opened, then, and the three generals entered for another round of questioning. Unfortunately, Raye lost control of her anger as soon as she saw them. General Jedeite was the unlucky soul who caught on fire first. He yelped and threw himself to the floor in an attempt to put the flames out. Zoicite looked pleadingly at Amy, hoping she'd put the flames out for him, but she only glared at him and remained where she was.  
  
"Let me help with that," sneered a greasy voice from the doorway. A man stepped into the room, pulling a jug of water out of nowhere. He poured the water on Jedeite's uniform, and the flames slowly died. 

Jedeite jumped quickly to his feet, and the man pushed himself the rest of the way into the room. He shut and locked the door behind him, and then turned to the other people in the room. Jedeite watched him with a mixture of suspicion and wary gratitude. "I'm sorry, sir, but can we help you? You seem to be lost." Already his hand was moving slowly to the blade at his waist.  
  
The man gave a shallow, greasy laugh, and said, "You've already helped me. I didn't think that I'd be able to get six of my targets in one room at once, you see."  He leered at them.  "Now, help me a little more and die quietly, please. I wouldn't want the rest of my victims warned, now, do I?"  
  
All three generals tried to draw their swords, but the assassin sent a bolt of black energy at them. The bolt hit them with enough force that all three men were thrown against the far wall. They remained, stunned and immobile, while the assassin turned to the three senshi. "Beryl warned me about your powers, so don't try to move. I'll finish them off if you do," he added with a jerk of his head towards the fallen humans.  
  
Lita hefted her lightening ball, which steadily grew in size until it was roughly the size of an Earth melon. "You assume that we care whether or not you kill them." She threw the ball at the man, and it erupted against his chest. He staggered back a few steps, but didn't fall.  
  
Raye, too, developed a fireball. "You see, we don't like them much more than we like you." She threw the fireball with deadly accuracy, hitting the hems of the man's pants. The man pulled another jug from thin air and poured it over his enflamed feet.  
  
Amy gestured, and the cloud of steam condensed around the man's feet. It latched onto his legs, freezing his entire lower body to the floor. The man tugged hopelessly on his legs for a moment, then gave up. He sent a bolt of negative energy at the ice, and it shattered abruptly.  
  
"The really nasty thing about using too much negative energy, though," murmured Amy as the man sent another bolt of black lightening at the girls, "is that the more you use it, the more you become addicted to it." She dodged the lightening, and tossed another stream of ice at the man. It struck his left arm, encasing him in ice up to the shoulder.  
  
Lita picked up where Amy had left off. "And as you become addicted to it, you can't stop using it." She lobbed another bolt of lightening at the assassin, who was still trying to shake off the ice on his arm. He howled in pain and sent yet another stream of black energy at them.  
  
Raye decided to help him out by flinging a wave of fire at his arm, which melted the ice and set his arm on fire. He screamed and started sending negative energy randomly throughout the room. The senshi were able to dodge each of the bolts, and by pure luck the generals didn't get hit. Raye sent another fireball at his head, purposely missing all but a few hairs at the very top. The fireball didn't hurt him, but it infuriated the greasy assassin past the point of all sanity. He gathered up all of the black energy infused in his body, determined to obliterate the senshi even if he had to eliminate himself in the process.  
  
The energy proved to be too great for him, and instead of hurtling toward the three women, it turned on his own body. The energy flickered around his form, cutting into skin and clothing alike. It snagged around his eyes, mouth, and nostrils, creating a horrifying picture of death. Eventually, his body couldn't take any more, and his heart stopped. He collapsed where he stood, his limbs bent at impossible angles and his mouth open in a silenced scream.  
  
"And when you can't stop using it, it drives you insane and eventually consumes you." Raye watched as the last of the energy faded from the man's body.  
  
Unconcerned, the three senshi ignored the body long enough to pull the generals to their feet. They stood, the awe that had become almost a permanent expression on their faces. "What was that?" gasped Jedeite to Raye.  
  
"That," she said angrily, "was an assassin of the dark moon. Goddess," she muttered. "How did they find us so quickly?" She glanced down at Jedeite's singed uniform. "Sorry about that," she said without any real apology in her voice. He shrugged, letting the matter drop.  
  
Lita walked over to the body and kicked it as hard as she could. The man's eye sockets were empty, having been burned away by the sheer intensity of the energy in his body. "This one was probably already in the camp, and he just jumped at an opportunity to get in Beryl's good graces." She turned the body over and peered closely at the man's neck. "Look, he doesn't even have the mark of the dark moon's assassin's guild. He's an amateur," she finished, disgusted.  
  
"That was an amateur?" exclaimed Zoicite. "What was all that black stuff that he was using?" 

Amy shrugged, saying simply, "That was negative energy. Most of the agents of the dark moon have it, and it usually drives them totally insane within a week. That's what makes the denizens of the dark moon so dangerous. They think nothing of killing thousands of people, including themselves, just to get at one target."  
  
Lita paced the floor, arms crossed and a thoughtful expression on her face. "The real question is whether or not he alerted the real assassins in the camp." 

Nephlite gulped. "Are you saying that there are more like him?" 

Lita laughed curtly. "Of course not. The other assassins are _much_ more powerful."  
  
Raye, too, pondered the situation. "Since he wasn't a member of the guild, he wasn't obligated to alert the other assassins in the camp. Greed probably compelled him to silence. Still, there isn't much of a chance that the other assassins haven't sensed all of the negative energy being bandied about."  
  
Amy nodded. "And that means that we have only a few minutes before they start pouring in. We can't protect them," she said with a nod in the general's direction, "and stay in our current forms. We'll have to become senshi."  
  
"You don't have to protect us," muttered General Zoicite. "You'll find that we have our own defenses." He held up a hand, and a gleaming ball of white energy appeared. 

The eyes of all three girls widened in surprise. "Can you all do that?" asked Lita curiously. All three generals nodded. "Good," Lita nodded in satisfaction. "Maybe you'll be of some use after all. I'm almost glad that I didn't kill you, then."  
  
Raye gestured impatiently. "Enough chit-chat. Let's show them what a senshi can really do! Mars Planet Power!" she called in a voice ringing with magic. A stick with a little ball on the top appeared suddenly in her hands, and the flames that erupted from it encased Raye's body with blinding heat.  
  
Lita and Amy didn't stop to watch Raye's light show. They each began their own transformations. "Mercury Planet Power!" Amy's words and matching stick sent sheets of liquid ice around her slight form. She bent and twisted in a series of impossible convolutions so the ice would reach every inch of her body.  
  
Lita's "Jupiter Planet Power!" brought a dozen bolts of lightening from her stick, and the lightening bolts quickly formed a pattern around her tall body.  
  
The light from each girl blinded the generals, and when they were finally able to look back, they found that each girl wore a short-skirted uniform of various colors, complete with large bows on both the chest and the back. Their hair had also grown out, except in Amy's case, and all were extremely beautiful. Tiaras graced the foreheads of each girl, and the sheer power coming off of them in waves was astounding.  
  
"There's probably going to be a lot of soldiers in the hallways," said Amy. "Many of them are going to be agents or assassins, but we won't be able to tell." 

Raye nodded. "Okay, we'll just have to try not to kill them, then. Use blows designed to stun or knock them unconscious. Ready?" she asked the generals, who nodded. "Let's go, then."  
  
"I don't have much practice with stunning." Lita led the way into the corridor. "Still, this should be fun."  
  
The generals eyed each other as they followed the girls into the hallway. "Fun? What have we gotten ourselves into?" wailed Jedeite. 

Nephlite eyed Lita with amusement. "The adventure of our lives, Jed, _that's_ what we've gotten ourselves into."


	5. Choices

CHAPTER FIVE  
  
Endyimon watched the girl sleep. A part of him wanted to watch her undetected, but another, bigger part of him wanted to speak with her, to hear his name on her lips. That part of him was almost overjoyed when she finally opened cornflower blue eyes.  
  
"Hello," she said in a crystalline voice. "You must be Prince Funny Name." 

Startled, he asked, "Prince what?" 

She laughed softly. "Prince Funny Name. You see, when we were little, the princess and I had to memorize volumes worth of Terran history, including the names of all of the Terran royal family. I could never remember your name, so I just called you Prince Funny Name, and the name kind of stuck. I hope you aren't offended," she added anxiously.  
  
Endyimon laughed heartily, something he hadn't done for a long time. "Quite the contrary. I think it's quite amusing. Still, maybe you just didn't have the right teacher growing up." She looked at him with eager eyes, so they spent the next few minutes laughing at her odd pronunciation of his name. Though he loved the way she scrunched up her nose with child- like frustration, he finally took pity on her. "Why don't you just call me Darien? My friends usually do." 

She looked at him thoughtfully for a long time, and then murmured, "Are we friends?"  
  
Darien leaned forward, his eyes intense. "I'd like very much to be your friend." 

She smiled, her own eyes echoing the intensity of his. "Very well, then, Darien. I'm Rilly," she added suddenly. 

He smiled. "I know your name," he said with that same intensity.  
  
Rilly looked at her prone hands. She was sitting up now, and the prince was very close on the cot beside her. "Do you really want to marry her?"  
  
The prince took one of her slender hands in his larger one. "No, I don't. I _have_ to marry her, for my people's sake."  
  
"There are other ways of forming an alliance. I think you'd find that Queen Selenity is very understanding." 

He chuckled mirthlessly. "Understanding of a barbarian? I very much doubt it. Don't look so surprised, Rilly," he added when he saw her expression. "I know exactly what your people think of mine. Still, the princess _did_ agree to the marriage."  
  
Rilly's face was very close to his. "She did?" she asked, obviously surprised. "What, exactly, did she say?"  
  
He was having a difficult time keeping his lips from hers. "She, uh, said something about how even though I'm not a two-headed street sweeper, I'll do."  
  
Rilly was delighted. "I _knew_ she'd understand!" she exclaimed…and then she kissed him.

**************************************************************************************************************************************  
  
Malachite led the way to the attacker's cell. They found the body exactly as the soldier had described, throat cut and weaponless. Hardened by years of combat, the sight and smell of so much blood barely phased him. He entered the cell and examined the area around the body. The girl followed, and Malachite was only slightly surprised when she didn't even flinch. Instead, she bent and examined the wound on the man's throat.  "Look at this," she said to herself. "Whoever killed this man knew exactly what he was doing. This cut is perfect, and casual killers don't make perfect cuts. This was done by a member of the assassin's guild." She looked up. "Tell me, please, who interrogated this man?"  
  
He hesitated, but answered, "A man named Adon. Endyimon chose him because he was well liked and respected. We thought he could guard the man without being a threat to his safety. Why? Does this name mean something to you?"  
  
"Nothing at all," she answered coldly, and he knew that she lied.  
  
"Did I hear my name?" asked a light voice from the prison door. Malachite whirled to face the exceptionally handsome, fair-haired Adon. 

The princess, however, did not turn. Instead, her body had tensed in a way that Malachite recognized as anger. Finally, she, too, turned. Her face matched the cheery expression of Adon's, but somehow Malachite knew it was a façade. "We were just speaking of you, Mr. Adon. I understand that you were the last to speak with this man?"  
  
Adon's eyes flickered to the corpse, then back to the princess. "Aye," he answered mournfully. "And the last to see him, I'm afraid. Does this make me a suspect?" he asked flirtatiously. 

"Not at all," the girl answered in the same manner. "Why on earth would a handsome, charming man like yourself commit murder? Go home to your wife, Adon, and don't worry about a thing." 

She swept past him to the door, pausing only when he answered in a wooden voice, "I am not married, my lady."  
  
"No," the princess answered from the other side of the door. "You're not, are you? Such a shame. If you'll excuse me..."  
  
She left, and Malachite quickly followed, not liking the expression on Adon's face, or the sense of words spoken between the lines.  
  
He soon caught up with the princess, grabbing her arm and forcing her to face him. Caught unguarded, the expression on her face stopped him from demanding an answer. Anger, self-loathing, hurt, and profound grief filled her face. He had the sneaking suspicion that he'd finally witnessed the real girl, not one of her pseudo-personalities. Abruptly, the mask dropped back into place, and she said coldly, "I believe I'd like to return to my...quarters. Thank you for the tour." She turned and led the way back through the maze of corridors.  
  


****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

  
"How many hallways does this silly place have?" grouched Lita as they ran swiftly through the corridors. 

"We don't know," answered Jedeite. "This place is the summer palace of the high king, but it hasn't been used in years. That's why we chose it, of course. We figured that nobody outside the prince's court even remembers that it exists."  
  
Raye rounded a corner, flinging a fireball at an attacking assassin as she went. The man screamed and threw himself out the nearest window. The screaming stopped with a chilling abruptness. "Gods, you girls are brutal," muttered Zoicite, as he tossed an energy bolt of his own at a second attacker. 

"We're senshi, and they're assassins for hire. We _have_ to be brutal," answered Amy as she froze a group of assassins with her icy spray. Their earlier hypothesis had been correct, of course. The hallways were crawling with assassins.  
  
Suddenly, all three girls halted in their tracks, and the generals were hard put to stop before they slammed into them. "What's wrong?" snapped Nephlite. 

Raye's eyes narrowed. "Something's wrong with Mina. I haven't felt her this angry since..." she stopped, and her eyes widened in shock. "Adonis is here."  
  
"It _couldn't_ be him," Lita protested. She closed her eyes, trying to sense Mina's emotions. "By the Goddess, it _is_ him! No wonder the assassins came so quickly. The bastard led them right to us."  
  
"Wait a second. Who's Mina?" asked Nephlite. 

Lita scowled at him. "Come on, we don't have much time."  
  
****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Quickly reaching the cell, the blonde princess flung open the door to find Rilly comfortably nestled in the prince's arms. The maid was laughing at something the prince had said, but she stopped when she saw the other girl's face.  
  
"Mi-princess, what's wrong?" The princess released a quick burst of mental-speech, but the burst was too powerful and brief for Malachite to pick anything out. The maid paled at it, though, whispering, "No, it can't be..." The princess didn't answer, and the maid stood and put her arms around the other girl. The princess didn't react, and after a moment the maid pulled away. "You aren't going to confront him, are you, princess?" the maid questioned anxiously. 

"No," the princess answered in that strangely furious voice. "This time I'm going to kill him." She looked at the princess. "But first I have to get you out of here. We're leaving."  
  
The maid glanced back at the prince's worried expression. "But...I don't want to leave," she said in a small voice. 

The princess looked carefully at her servant, and she relaxed visibly. "Are you sure?" she asked. The maid nodded, smiling shyly.  
  
Suddenly, shouts and explosions echoed down the corridor. The three guards burst into the room, the anger in their postures distracting Malachite momentarily from the changes in their appearances. The three generals, who looked rather the worse for wear, closely followed them. "What's going on?" asked the raven-haired girl in red and white. "Get away from her," she growled when she saw that the prince's arms were around Rilly's shoulders. A fireball suddenly appeared in her hands, and Malachite finally noticed the slightly singed look of General Jedeite's uniform.  
  
"Calm yourself, Mars." The princess' voice sounded more amused than angry. "She's made her choice." 

The one called Mars glared at the princess. "A barbarian?" she scoffed. "That's a mistake, not a choice." 

The princess laughed shortly, and her eyes were hooded. "Mistake or not, she loves him.  That's enough for me."  
  
Comprehension dawning in his eyes, the prince turned to the girl next to him and took her hands in his. "Is it true? Do you really love me?" She nodded quickly, tears of joy in her eyes, but the prince seemed almost saddened.  
  
Meanwhile, Mars' fireball had grown both in size and intensity. "Love him? She barely knows him!" 

The princess watched the couple with sad eyes. "Sometimes that's enough." She walked up to the prince and the maid, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "It is her nature to love quickly and wholly, Prince Funny-Name. The question now is: Do you love her enough to marry her, regardless of your kingdom's condition?"  
  
The prince hung his head. "I would sacrifice everything I have just to see her smile, but I cannot ignore the needs of my people, princess. I can't abandon them, no matter how much I love Rilly."  
  
The princess smiled again. "Far from disappointing me, Prince of Earth, you've passed my final test. Prince Endyimon, I'd like you to meet Serenity, heir of the moon kingdom and your future bride. Congratulations, cousin."  
  
"What?!" all five men exclaimed. "Who does that make you?" demanded Malachite of the false princess. 

Serenity--the real Serenity--laughed. "May I present princess Mina of Venus, my cousin and best friend." 

Mina bent her head slightly in acknowledgement of the title. She opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly her body tensed. "He's here," she said to the three senshi, whose bodies had also stiffened. 

"How far?" asked Mars, who was already moving into an attack position in front of Serenity. The other two senshi followed suite, forming a half-circle of protection around the prince and princess. 

Mina moved between the group and the door, placing herself in the direct path of danger. "Close," she answered. She gestured with one hand, and a crystal sword suddenly appeared. *What good is a crystal sword?* thought Malachite irrelevantly. *It'll shatter with the first blow*. The thought flew from his mind when the tall, golden-haired figure of Adon stepped through the door.  
  
Raye didn't move from her position as Mina faced the handsome man in the doorway. "Adonis," Mina acknowledged, a frozen smile on her lips. 

"Mina," he answered with the same smile. "It's been a long time, love." A sword flashed into his hands, and Raye could sense the darkness in his aura.  
  
"I am not your love, traitor," she hissed as they began to circle each other, swords raised. 

The tall, silver-haired general-Malachite, Raye recalled with difficulty- moved to help her, but Raye gestured for him to stay back. Don't interfere, she mind-Sent. Mina needs to do this on her own. 

Malachite's' mind-voice was as silver as his hair. What is he to her?  
  
Her fiancé. she answered, noting the flair of agitation in his aura. She may not be the goddess of love, like Mina, but she knew love when she saw it. *What is it that makes these earth men so attractive to us?* she wondered, glancing at Jedeite's slightly pale face. His eyes met hers, and he smiled hesitatingly. She scowled back at him.  
  
Meanwhile, Adonis made the first move, thrusting his sword at Mina's stomach. She parried the sword easily. "It's such a shame. You were once one of the highest- ranking nobles on Venus, and now you're an assassin. What did Beryl offer, Adonis? Money? The throne? Or did you just enjoy the killing?"  
  
At first Raye assumed that Mina was talking about the current situation, but then Mina asked with tears in her voice, "Why did you have to kill her, Adonis? She wasn't a threat to you. She loved you like a son."  
  
"She knew too much," he answered defensively. "She caught your father and I that night, discussing our plans for you. She was going to blow our cover, so your father decided to silence her. He gave her the poison, though, not I."  
  
Tears gone from her voice, Mina answered cuttingly, "No, you didn't poison her. You just held her down while my father forced her to drink it. Don't you realize what you started, Adonis? By killing her, you destroyed half the planet. Venus hangs on by a mere thread, and all so you could take the throne."  
  
"It was never the throne that I wanted. It was only you. And what are you talking about? Killing one woman does not destroy an entire planet."  
  
"How little you understand," she murmured. "Didn't you ever wonder why my mother never got sick? Why she never had so much as a sniffle the entire time you knew her?" 

Adonis shrugged dismissively. "I just assumed that she was exceptionally healthy."  
  
Mina shook her head in what might once have been fond exasperation. "That 'one woman' was linked to the planet itself. By poisoning her, you and my father poisoned all of Venus. It's been over a year, but the reactions still haven't stopped. All over the planet, the ground shakes with enough violence to wipe out entire cities, and volcanoes that have always been thought to be dormant have erupted and killed thousands. I have to kill you, Adonis," she finished, almost sadly. "The planet won't be satisfied until my mother's killers rest in pieces on Venusian soil."  
  
"Will you kill me as you killed your father?" Adonis hissed, circling around Mina with his sword upraised. 

She shook her head gently. "He was his own death. He took the coward's path rather than face Venusian justice." They continued to circle, occasionally exchanging blows. "There's one thing that I never understood, however. What did my father gain by killing my mother and I? He could not have inherited the throne no matter what he did."  
  
"I already told you. We didn't want the throne. We just wanted the two of you to love us. We weren't going to hurt you, just keep you locked up with us in the palace, forever." 

Mina blinked, puzzled. "We did love you. My mother never even looked at another man, and I couldn't wait until our wedding."  
  
Her ex-lover shook his head in negation. "Do you know what it's like to love you, knowing that it's only a matter of time before you move on? Do you know how it feels, walking down a street with you, knowing that almost every man who sees you wants you for his own? You're the goddess of Venus, Mina. You're every man's ideal, but you always had so many secrets. I never knew if the face you gave me was the true you. You never let me in. Your father and mother were the same way. Years of jealousy drove your father insane. He always suspected that your mother was having affairs, but he couldn't prove it. He helped me because he wanted to spare me that fate."  
  
"She wasn't having an affair, Adonis. I would have known if she was. And you got in deeper than most, Adonis, but you always underestimated me. You never understood just what I am." She pulled a stick from some hidden pocket of her dress, shouting, "Venus Planet Power!" Bright lights swirled from the stick, flowing down her body almost caressingly. The lights finally touched the ground and exploded. When the light faded enough that they could look at her, she was wearing an outfit similar to those of the other three senshi. Her crystal sword had remained throughout the entire transformation, but it now glowed like a tiny star. "I was never just your lover, Adonis. I wasn't just Mina, and I was never just a princess. I am Venus! I am the avatar, the senshi. My duty to Venus always took precedent over personal feelings. You never understood that."  
  
She lashed out suddenly, knocking his sword from his hands. The sword skittered across the room, landing at Serena's feet. Mina pulled her sword back to strike the killing blow, but abruptly stopped when Serena cried out, "Stop, Mina! You can't do this!"  
  
Mina stopped, but answered in a chilling voice, "Do what? Kill him like he killed everyone close to me? Did I ever tell you what had happened after I found her? My mother lived just long enough to tell me who'd killed her. I went after him with a company of guards, but he was already gone. He'd stayed just long enough to set a trap for my men and I. Only the fact that I was already a senshi saved my life. As it was, the entire company died. He's a traitor, Serena. He deserves to die."  
  
"Maybe so, but not by your hand! You told me once that you've never killed an innocent. Don't bloody your hands now, Mina. Let him go."  
  
Mina shook her head. "He's no innocent, and if I let him live my planet will die." She moved to strike, but found that Malachite had grabbed her sword arm. She didn't resist when he pulled the sword from her hands and drew her into his arms. 

He handed the sword to Jedeite, murmuring, "You're so many things, love, but don't let 'killer' be among them. You show many faces to the world, trying to protect yourself and those you love from pain, but I wonder if even you have forgotten your true self." He bent his head and kissed her. Raye could see their auras flare and merge as one as Mina finally accepted the inevitable. She smiled, knowing that their souls had joined.  
  
A strangled growl emitted from Adonis' throat. "You choose him over me?!" He pulled a short dagger from his uniform shirt and flung it sharply at Mina's back.  
  
Raye watched in horror, too far away to do anything to save her friend. She could only call out a warning, giving Malachite just enough time to throw Mina behind him. Only Serena reacted in time, pulling Adonis' discarded sword and throwing it with surprising force at Adonis' vital organs. It pierced his stomach, but did not kill him immediately. "Beryl," he cried, blood pouring from his lips. His form suddenly wavered and disappeared, leaving only the knife embedded in Malachite's chest as evidence that he'd been there at all.


	6. Healing

CHAPTER SIX  
  
Mina cradled Malachite's head in her lap, hating the pallor of his skin and the pain glazing his silver eyes. "Don't leave me, Mal, not when I've just found you!" 

His hand weakly covered hers. "Never, love."  
  
Amy knelt and examined the wound. She shook her head gently, not letting Malachite see the movement. There's nothing I can do. It's too deeply imbedded. Mina shut her eyes tightly, and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Grief aged her face by twenty years as she cried for the first time since her mother had died.  
  
Raye knelt on one knee, touching her friend with a gentle hand. "There's still hope, Mina. Look carefully at his aura. What do you see?"  
  
Mina shook her head, and more tears fell. "I can't see it, Raye." 

Raye smiled. "I can. His was white before. It's gold now.  
  
Mina's tears stopped, and her face shed the extra years. "Truly?" she gasped. Raye nodded and stepped away, pulling everyone else against the wall with her. They needed to give Mina as much room as possible to do what she had to.  
  
From across the room, Mina had begun to glow. As her light filled the room, she whispered, "Mother, help me!" Her light soon grew too bright, and Raye had to shield her eyes. When the light faded, Raye saw Malachite sitting up gingerly. The knife, still deep in his chest, kept glowing. Abruptly that, too, faded, taking the knife with it. Mina threw her arms around his neck, sobbing. 

"Don't cry, love," Malachite murmured, putting his arms around her as well.  
  
"I don't understand," said a confused Jedeite. 

Raye glared at him, knowing that she'd be doing a lot of explaining in the next few weeks. "Their souls joined, each becoming a physical part of the other. Her planet needs her to live for its own sake, and she could no more live without him than she could live without a heart. The planet stepped in and saved them both." She looked over to where Mina and Malachite still sat on the floor, wrapped in each other's arms.  "It's over now."

**************************************************************************************************************************************  
  
Somewhere on earth, a bloodstained figure appeared before a sinister looking man. "Paorarite," Adonis gasped. "Help me…"  
  
Paorarite smiled cruelly. "You've failed, Adonis. I can't let you fail again."  
  
"Wait," yelled Adonis. "I know who and where the senshi are! I can help the queen!" He clutched at the wound in his stomach.  
  
"All the more reason to kill you now.  I can't have you taking my place." Paorarite gestured, and Adonis disappeared in a puff of greasy smoke.

**************************************************************************************************************************************  
  
Somewhere else in the universe, a planet finally stopped trembling. The people of Venus sighed in collective relief, knowing that their trial was finally over.

**************************************************************************************************************************************  
  
Back on earth, a slender, blonde princess and her silver-eyed lover looked up at the sky and whispered in unison, "_Now_, it's over."


End file.
